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Has a Supreme Court justice ever been as relatable as when Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she’s “working harder than I ever had” and is “tired” of all this mess? It was earlier this week that Justice Sotomayor made an appearance at the University of California, Berkeley Law School and she confessed to the weariness that’s set in as one of the liberals in the minority of the Court.
As reported by Bloomberg Law:
“And to be almost 70 years old, this isn’t what I expected,” Sotomayor said Monday during an appearance at the University of California, Berkeley’s law school. “But it is still work that is all consuming and I understand the impact the court has on people and on the country, and sometimes the world. And so it is what keeps me going.”
As the conservative majority tries to rewrite American case law before the Grim Reaper changes the composition of the Court, the cases and the stakes have only grown.
“Cases are bigger. They’re more demanding. The number of amici are greater, and you know that our emergency calendar is so much more active. I’m tired,” she said. “There used to be a time when we had a good chunk of the summer break. Not any more. The emergency calendar is busy almost on a weekly basis.”
And even though it can be discouraging to know you’ve functionally been relegated to writing dissents, Sotomayor says she simply must continue the work. “What choice do you have but to fight the good fight? You can’t throw up your hands and walk away. And that’s not a choice. That’s an abdication. That’s giving up,” she said.
Sotomayor believes there’s little choice but to continue forward, saying, “Why do you think I’m still writing? I live in frustration. Every loss truly traumatizes me in my stomach and in my heart. But I have to get up the next morning and keep on fighting.”
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.
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